Florida Orange Picking at Dooley Groves
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After moving to NYC, I soon discovered apple picking and after living there for 9 years, I looked forward to the Fall activity every single year. When I moved to Florida in 2019, I knew my apple-picking days were over and thought picking fruit in general was over, until I discovered the joy of orange picking! Now, it isn’t quite the same as apple picking because there is no delicious, hot apple cider or freshly baked apple cider donuts, but the aroma the orange blossoms give off when you’re walking through the orchard is enough to make you forget about all those treats!
Florida orange season runs from October through June but the best time to go orange picking in Florida is between November and May when the fruit is in abundance and is most ripe. You can find orange orchards scattered throughout the middle of the state and I chose Dooley Groves for my first picking adventure. Dooley Groves is located in Ruskin, Florida, between Sarasota and Tampa, right across the Tampa Bay from St. Pete. The orchard and shop are only open during citrus season so while you’re there, make sure you stock up on any locally-made items from their produce shop while they’re available. Dooley Farms is a working farm that started back in the 1960s, so not only do they allow the public to pick their own citrus but they also pack and ship to many accounts all across the country. Their hours for u-pick are from 10am - 4pm daily from December through April or until there is no more produce on the trees. I went in early March and there was still plenty of oranges left to be picked.
Dooley Groves has many types of citrus available for u-pick from the highly sought-after Honeybells to Grapefruit to even Ortaniques! I picked lots of Honeybells and tangerines since those are my favorites! One key thing to keep in mind is that the citrus won’t ripen after it’s picked off the tree so make sure you don’t pick any with green on them. The citrus will probably look a little dusty and not very bright orange when walking through the groves but that’s only because it’s a working farm so the tractors kick up a lot of dirt as they go through each aisle and it comes right off when you wash your fruit at home.
When you arrive at the orchard, you’ll walk through the gift shop and let the staff know you’re there to pick your own citrus. They’ll walk you through to the back & share some history of the farm as well as explain the types of citrus that are available for you to pick and tips on how to select the best ones. Next, you’ll choose your basket size and then you’re off to the orange groves! It’s a short walk outside to the first grove and then each type of citrus has its’ own section which will be marked off. The first thing I noticed was the amazing smell of the orange blossoms! It actually hit us in the car when we turned off the highway onto the road the farm is located on. I couldn’t get enough of the orange blossoms the entire time! Unfortunately, you’re not allowed to pick any to take home with you since the blossom is what helps the tree to produce the following season, but they do sell orange blossom perfume in the gift shop.
Once you have your baskets full and are ready to leave, you’ll head back into the main building and separate your citrus where they’ll be weighed at the different price points at the checkout counter. Make sure you pick at least one of each kind because they’re all amazing! I’ll admit I’m not a huge fan of citrus fruits but I loved every singe variety Dooley Groves offers. The fruit taste so much better fresh off the tree, even the grapefruit was delicious and different from any grapefruit I’ve ever had!
Aside from citrus, Florida has quite a few u-pick farms that are great if you love supporting local businesses and eating fresh like I do. Below are a couple of my favorites in the Southwest Florida area.
Farmer Mike’s U-Pick - Located in Bonita Springs, this family run farm started over 20 years ago and has turned into a go-to spot for many in the area. It’s my personal favorite for picking strawberries & cutting fresh sunflowers in their field. They have all sorts of produce you can pick such as cauliflower, peppers, tomatoes, eggplants… you name it, they probably have it available to pick! Farmer Mike’s not only offers u-pick but they have Fall Festivals, hay rides, a haunted maze (which I did last year and was SO much fun!), and lots of other seasonal activities. The farm is closed during the Summer and hours do vary so check their Facebook page for more updates.
Blueberry Bunch Farm - This blueberry farm located in LaBelle was on my list earlier this year but I missed the season so I’ll be there next season! Blueberry Bunch Farm is family owned & is the most Southern blueberry farm in Florida. They have an impressive 50,000 blueberry bushes and in 2021 will be planting an additional 9,000 organic bushes! The u-pick season runs from March to May & you can get updates on their social pages here as well.
Happy travels & happy picking season!
-Tess
Tess Arnold
Hi! I’m Tess, founder of TravelingTessie.com, and not only do I love to travel, but I love immersing myself in new places and finding off the beaten path experiences wherever I go! I’ve lived in 4 different states & traveled to 13 countries and counting. I believe that tourism is meant to benefit both visitors and locals alike—and I want to bring that idea back into the travel industry by highlighting companies run by locals such as tours, hotels, restaurants, and more. On Traveling Tessie you can find hidden gems in top destinations around the world, travel tips, detailed city guides, and tons of inspiration for your next trip! If you love travel as much as I do, then please join me on this journey! I hope you enjoy my content as much as I enjoy providing it for you!
